Price keeping close tabs on Scofield water level

As the water levels continue to drop at Scofield Reservoir, Price City continues to keep a close eye on the situation.

With the water level dropping at the reservoir due to low snowfall over the winter and spring and small amounts of precipitation in the following months, Price City council members and city officials continue to follow the water readings on a daily basis.

Bob Davis, the dam commisioner at Scofield Reservoir, said the water levels were at 32,232 acre feet with an elevation of 7,604.4 as of the morning on Aug. 29.

Davis said the water levels at the beginning of April were around 52,000 acre feet. However the reservoir has dropped due to a variety of reasons including low snow runoff, resident and business water usage.

While the low levels at the reservoir are of concern to Price City, Davis, who has worked at the dam for 22 years, said there have been years where the reservoir had lower levels than it currently does.

To help with the situation, Price City has already implemented a few techniques to lower the water usage by the city. One of the ideas put in motion by the city was to cut down and alter the times city parks are watered.

City council members and city officials have discussed the possibility of creating water resolutions dealing with the use of water for outside watering.

In 1992, the city adopted resolutions that restricted outside watering for a period of time.

City officials have said during previous meetings they don't expect a need to pass resolutions similar to the ones enacted 20 years ago. They are keeping all options open in searching for ways to help keep the low water levels at the reservoir from becoming a bigger problem.